Self-sufficiency is an attitude of the heart that says, “I am the solution to every problem I encounter. I must step into every conflict, save every relationship, keep peace where there may be strife. If there is a problem, I must see how I can help.”

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

A familiar passage of Scripture greets us today. It seems that we all have enough troubles on every side, don’t we? As I think about the depth and severity of the “various trials” we encounter it is very easy to become depressed and morose.

As unbelievable as it may seem, we are fast approaching the end of another year. Social media is all about your year in review, throwing up collages and slide shows featuring all of your most liked posts, new friends, and photos. But taking a moment each December to think over the past twelve months isn’t new, and it certainly was not Facebook’s idea. As each year passes, we all think about the things that happened, the people we spent time with, and the ways that life has changed.

Thing’s have been stressful in my world for the past couple of months. It seems that everything has been what I would call out of control since my dad died in late September.

As I was sitting on an airplane very early this morning, I was thinking and praying about yesterday. Actually, I was confessing. You see, things have been a little rough lately, very busy, and very stressful. Lots of traveling, a new laptop that arrived broken yesterday, some health issues for my husband, and on the home front, my house has been a mess for the past 7 months as we try to finish some remodeling projects.

When I first began my training to become a biblical counselor, I purchased Jay Adams’ Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs. It was a helpful tool as I began to familiarize myself with the most-used verses and passages for biblical counseling. I’m glad I...

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” ~~ 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

In my last post, we met Joyce and Judy, a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law whose relationship has gotten off to a rocky start because of some presuppositions and expectations that were based only on their own desires, instead of a biblical foundation. Each of them has spiraled downward into disappointment, frustration, and bitterness because their expectations were not met. So, now what? How do we get Joyce and Judy back on a solid footing to build a relationship that brings glory to God? As I see it, there are three elements that must be present if they are going to remedy the problems they are facing: Repentance, communication, and love.

Life during the past year had been the school of knocks for Karen. She had been slandered, betrayed, hurt, and seen loved ones pass away. Each time she thought she was getting back on her feet, another blow would come. The last one was when she heard that a good friend had believed lies about her and the relationship was adversely affected.

If you are a counselor, it is highly likely that you are helping someone who has been diagnosed with a mental disorder. Mental health professionals use the Diagnostic Statistic Manual, or DSM, to describe, categorize, and diagnose such disorders. Have you ever wondered how to help people who have been diagnosed and what your view should be of the psychoactive medication they are usually prescribed? In Descriptions and Prescriptions, Mike Emlet attempts to provide us with a framework for how to view both the DSM and psychoactive medication.

Joyce was beyond thrilled when she got the news that her son was finally going to be married. He’d been dating Judy for several years now, and Joyce had really grown to love her. Having had only sons, she had always fantasized about one day having a daughter-in-law, welcoming a girl into the family, and doing “girl things” with her. Joyce had prayed throughout her son’s life that he would marry a woman who would be like a daughter to her.

This year we learned that due to a health issue, we needed to change how we eat. This has been a fun adventure for us both as we watch the changes happening to our bodies as a result of practicing intermittent fasting. You can look that up if you have questions about it. It is highly recommended for the health issue we are facing.

As I see it, there are four things that have to be in place before real heart change, or biblical transformation, can happen: You must be able to recognize when you are becoming angry; you recognize unbiblical expectations; you must agree with God that your anger is sinful; and you must repent.

Dear Angry Mom, You must change. You must change before your children learn from you that angry outbursts when you don’t get your way are acceptable. You must change before your children become fearful of you, and begin to base their value on your approval of them....

Today, I’d like to talk with my friends who are in a formal biblical counseling role. While all of us are competent to counsel, and should be intentionally discipling others, the biblical counselor who serves her church and community vocationally is who I’d like to chat with today. I’ve been doing some thinking lately about how I’m handling this role, and thought I might share with you some questions to ask yourself as you reflect on what you’re doing.

My Bible reading has taken me into Kings and Chronicles, and one thing that has repeatedly struck me is how the good Kings (although there were a few) obeyed God only in part. The Bible repeatedly states that this good king or that good king eradicated evil or Baal worship out of Israel or Judah, but never went the whole way in removing the high places or the golden calves or the altars on which sacrifices to those false gods were offered.

Martin Luther not only reformed theology, he reformed pastoral counseling. Through lively vignettes, real-life stories, and direct quotes from Luther, Counseling Under the Cross equips us to apply the gospel richly, relevantly, and robustly to suffering and sin so that we find our hope and help in Christ alone. Anne Dryburgh recently reviewed Bob Kelleman’s newest book:

I am just back from attending the annual conference of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). I had the privilege of presenting a workshop on the topic of suffering and sorrow. The timing of the conference was interesting in that one week ago I...

This question was recently asked by a newcomer to our church, after she happened to mention to me that she really didn’t have any close friends in the area. Though she’d lived here for many years, she still had not really established any relationships beyond the surface of small talk and playdate arrangements with other moms. She added that she really gets all the advice and encouragement she needs from the blogs she reads and of course, her daily Bible reading.

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